Calm Lockheed YO-3A Star

The Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star is an American plane of recognition which had been conceived for the observation of the night movements of ground personnels during the Guerre of Vietnam. It is about a propeller single-engined aircraft conceived to silently fly night, which constitutes a kind of ancestor as regards Furtivité.

History

Calm Thrusters

YO-3A had been developed starting from a specification emitted by the United States Army in 1965 requiring undetectable an observation aircraft need since the ground while evolving/moving of a altitude-ground of 1 200 feet (400 meters). Lockheed proposed in 1966 two apparatuses of a model called QT-1 (QT for Quiet Thruster , “discrete engine”). The cell was a fuselage of Planeur Schweizer modified SGS 2-32. The QT-1 were equipped with an engine low noise and a propeller whose tips of blades moved well below the speed of sound. Tested successfully during War of Vietnam within the framework of a program called Prize Crew , the QT-1 evolved/moved of night at low altitude. The observation took place using Jumelles night vision (JVN). The QT-1 were brought back to the USA and re-elected thereafter QT-2 (PC).

Following successes of the two QT-1 and the complementary research made with another rather similar apparatus called Q-Star, Lockheed launched the construction of a short series of eleven called YO-3A within the framework of the program Quiet Star . Last nines of them were sent to Vietnam in the years 1970-71, where one was lost. Various propellers were tested (including tri models and sextupales), the apparatus being in addition team of a system of exhaust of gases running along the fuselage and other devices intended to reduce the acoustic signature. The equipment of mission of the YO-3A consisted of a Périscope of vision nocture to illuminator Infrarouge. Certains YO-3A had a designation of objective Laser. The YO-3A moved silently with 1 000 feet (300 meters) of altitude-ground and could evolve/move even low according to the terrestrial acoustic bottom. During certain flights, the apparatus remained indétecté with 200 feet (65 meters) above the enemy.

Civil use

After the end of the war of Vietnam, two YO-3A (registered 69-18006 and -007) were implemented by the direction of the fishing of the State of Louisiana where it was very effective in the fight against the Braconnage. The Federal Office off Investigation (FBI) acquired these apparatuses thereafter and used them during years for the monitoring and the arrest of kidnappers and applicants of ransom.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) acquired a YO-3A towards end of the year 70 to make use of it in research on propeller aircraft. There remains operational still today with Moffett Field (California).

The YO-3A n° 69-18007 underwent in Cable Airport (California) a building site of handing-over in vol.

Users

External bonds

YO-3A.com
Description and photographs

Random links: